The Second Tawtute
by hoyteca
Summary: A second alien race invades Pandora. Are they friend or foe?
1. Chapter 1

High above Pandora's surface, a new satellite takes orbit. It photographs and maps the surface and listens for radio chatter. Its hull is marked in a strange language. Eventually, it releases a large capsule that races for the surface.

As soon as it hits thicker air, its retrorockets fire. Its decent slowed dramatically, it inflates a hot-air balloon and floats, studying the atmosphere and mapping the surface in greater detail. Eventually, its balloon deflates greatly and it lands gently on the surface.

It's hard. It's hot. It's definitely concrete.

The probe lands in Hell's Gate, Pandora's artificial scar. Everything's quiet. The closest life forms are a few hidden scientists watching from afar.

The probe's not armed, as far as they can tell. Since there was no immediate danger, the scientists kept the anti-air defenses offline. No need to waste missiles that could shoot down RDA ships instead.

The probe finishes its assessment of the base and releases a rover unit. The rover wanders into the forest through a breach in the wall. Its dual thermo-cameras detect two large fauna nearby. It sneaks up close and examines them.

They were a pair of large, blue animals. The size of their arms and legs suggest that they are bipedal. The pair are too distracted to notice the rover sneaking closer. The rover fires a stream of sticky gel onto the pair and rushes in. Before they can break free from their gel prison, the rover turns them over and sprays them again. With the specimens cocooned, the rover drags them to Hell's Gate and signals the mother ship. It's time for colonization


	2. Chapter 2

To'akto woke up restrained on a metal table. Though he didn't recognize his surroundings, he knew he was inside the Tawtute lair. The blinding, artificial light, stale air, unusually flat surfaces, and metal everything screamed sky people. He tried to get up, but found that his entire body was strapped down tightly.

He heard a noise and turned his head to find a strange being fiddling with some metal tools. This creature was strange. It walked upright like the Na'vi and Tawtute, but was grey in color. Its face was flat, but its eyes and mouth reminded him of a palulukan.

It walked over to To'akto and looked him in the eyes. To'akto was sure the creature was going to eat him, but it kept staring. To'akto tried to break free from his restraints, but quickly found that whatever was holding him down didn't even allow him to wiggle.

"Science log- specimen N457

Log 2- first cycle, day fifteen, eleventh hour, five minutes"

To'akto listened as the creature spoke into a Tawtute machine.

"Part 1: Specimen woke up 3 minutes 34 seconds ago… now. Specimen is alert and shows signs of stress and arousal. Will attempt verbal communication."

To'akto recognized the language as Inglisi. Could this thing be a Tawtute too? Didn't look like it, but To'akto's only seen a few Tawtute in his like and they all wore masks. Maybe this is what they looked like with their masks off.

"Release me, Vrr'tep!" To'akto demanded.

"So you speak one of the Terran languages." the creature said, fascinated, "Though I've never heard the term 'Vrr'tep' before."

"Have you come to destroy some more before we send you to Eywa?"

"This 'Eywa' is your goddess, is she not?" the creature asked, "The Terran scientists here have informed me that she is the goddess of life, balance, and possibly creation."

"Release me!" To'akto demanded again, "Release me and go back to your Vrr'tep home."

"Where are your people?" the creature asked.

"I will not let you destroy our new home for some stupid rocks!"

"We're not here to mine or to destroy homes."

"Txing." To'akto growled, "Txing txokefyaw Toruk Makto spe'e si tspang nga."

"Is that your native tongue?" the creature asked, "What's your name?"

"My name is To'akto!" To'akto shouted in frustration, "Txing si rey txokefyaw Toruk Makto tspang nga, Vrrtep! I don't know how to say it in demon tongue!"

"Do you have a mate?" the creature asked calmly, seemingly oblivious to To'akto's outburst.

"I do not." To'akto growled, "And if you're thinking of taking me as a mate, you'd have to tspang me first."

"I'll arrange for some English lessons." the creature told him, "Now, the next few tests will require you to be asleep again."

"Then will you txing like a good vrrtep?"

"Now, does txing mean to leave or die or something?"

"I do not know." To'akto admitted, "I never got that far in my Inglisi lessons."

"We'll get you some lessons, then." the creature said, "We're just going to run a few tests that require you to be still. Since you refuse to stay still, I'll put you to sleep. Good night."

The creature covered To'akto's face with a strange mask, filling his airways with a sweet smelling gas. To'akto quickly fell asleep."

"Such anger." the creature said as he shook his head, "Hopefully his temper cools by our next meeting.


End file.
